Fransson double-double puts Spartans over Logan

• Tiana Mangakahia scored 13 points for the Southern Districts Spartans in her return to the court
• Nicole Fransson led the way for Southern Districts with 23 points and 13 rebounds
• Ipswich Force import Kahlaijah Dean had 14 points and 11 rebounds in her team's win over Gold Coast

Southern Districts @ Logan

Southern Districts secured a hard-fought 89-86 victory against Logan at Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre in a thrilling season opener as Nicole Fransson delivered a stellar performance with 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Jessica McDowell-White contributed 17 points and seven assists.

The Spartans converted efficiently in the paint, scoring 42 points compared to Logan's 32.

Despite the loss, Logan's Leah Scott put on an exceptional showing with 26 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field. Her teammate Prasayus Notoa recorded an impressive double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds, including five three-pointers.

The game featured 11 lead changes, with Southern Districts enjoying the largest lead of 16 points and spending over 34 minutes in front. Tiana Mangakahia, who returned to the court for the first time in two years amid a battle with breast cancer, provided a spark off the bench for the Spartans with 13 points, four rebounds, and four steals in just 16 minutes.

Both teams showed efficiency from beyond the arc, with Logan connecting on 37.9 percent of their three-point attempts while Southern Districts shot 34.6 percent. The rebounding battle favoured the Spartans (45-40), who also capitalized on Logan's 18 turnovers to score 11 points off those mistakes. Emily Preston was influential for Southern Districts, finishing with a game-high plus-minus of +16 in her 22 minutes on court.

Ipswich Force @ Gold Coast Rollers

The Ipswich Force secured a hard-fought 79-73 victory against the Gold Coast Rollers at Carrara Stadium in the opening round of the NBL1 North Women's competition.

Elissa Brett delivered an outstanding performance for the Force, scoring 24 points on efficient 47.4 percent shooting while grabbing nine rebounds. Gold Coast's Katie Deeble led all Rollers with 20 points, including a perfect 6-from-6 from the charity stripe with six assists.

The contest featured nine lead changes, with Ipswich taking control for the majority of the game, leading for over 36 minutes and building their advantage to as many as 24 points. Kahlaijah Dean recorded a double-double for the Force with 14 points and 11 rebounds, along with four steals, while Hannah Young contributed 13 points on stellar 54.5 percent shooting.

For Gold Coast, Juna Umezawa provided efficient scoring with 18 points on exceptional 77.8 percent shooting and eight rebounds, but the Rollers' dismal 20 percent three-point shooting (5-from-25) ultimately proved costly in the season-opening defeat.